Unit: Romans (Part 3)
Theme: Holy
Lesson Text: Romans 11:11-32
Supplemental Text: Exodus 19:3-6; 1 Peter 2:1-9
Aim: Appreciate the heritage that is ours because of the faith of the patriarchs and other faithful.
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By Mark Scott
The lesson title is also a book title. Ronald J. Allen and John C. Holbert wrote Holy Root, Holy Branches: Christian Preaching from the Old Testament. When Christians read the Bible, they recognize the heritage from which it comes. If believers are the branches (and they are, John 15:5), then, according to Romans 11, the patriarchs and the other faithful in the Old Testament are the root.
One way to solve the pastoral challenge of helping Jews and Gentiles get along will be to show them how they fit into God’s program to save both in his cosmic plan. This is the content of Romans 9–11. It all happens under the sovereignty of God, but it is a bit like dominoes—one must fall before others can fall.
Gentile Inclusion and Jewish Envy
Romans 11:11-24
The Jewish believers in the church at Rome felt squeezed out of God’s plan and blessings because the Gentiles were given the right to come into God’s family. Some Roman Jews evidently thought that since their forefathers had failed to walk in faith, there was then no hope for them. Paul affirmed just the opposite.
Did the Old Testament Israelites stumble in their faith? Yes, but did they stumble in an irrecoverable way? Not at all! In fact, God used their stumbling as an avenue for the Gentiles to come into God’s plan. Israel transgressed (failed, lapsed, or erred), which allowed the Gentiles to experience salvation. But God leveraged this to make Israel envious. Once again, we see this formula at work: Jewish rejection led to Gentile inclusion, which led to Jewish jealousy. That jealousy then would drive them into belief.
Paul took pride (glorified) in his apostleship to the Gentiles to help his own people. If the Gentiles would be reconciled to God by virtue of Paul’s ministry, what would happen if the Jews would be stirred to envy and come into the kingdom? That would be joy unspeakable. So, Paul used two metaphors to illustrate his point. The first one, dough, was rather simple. If the dough (i.e., the Jews) was offered as the firstfruits to God, then the whole batch (Jews and Gentiles together) would be holy.
The second metaphor, root and branches, was more complex. To be clear, the root, with some broken-off branches, was Israel, and the ingrafted branches were the Gentiles. The Gentiles are referred to as a wild olive shoot that has been grafted (inserted with a puncture) into the tree. This should give the Gentiles pause and not make them feel superior. The same God who grafted them in can take them out. The key to both Jew and Gentile is faith (this has been Paul’s theme throughout the Epistle). Wild branches and natural branches are maintained by the root through faith.
Jewish Hardening and Gentile Embrace
Romans 11:25-32
God was working his plan. Therefore, ideas of ethnic inferiority or superiority should be jettisoned. The hardening (becoming calloused) of Israel cracked open the door for Gentiles to come into God’s family. Therefore, in this way all Israel will be saved. This is a difficult phrase since in this section (Romans 9–11) “Israel” has been understood to be physical Israel (i.e., Jewish descendants). In that sense, Gentiles are not Israel. However, when one considers how inclusive Paul has been to those of Gentile descent (Romans 2:28-29) and how inclusive God has been in times past with those outside Israel (e.g., Exodus 12:38), then “all Israel” that will be saved would be Jews and Gentiles who come to God in faith.
Paul marshaled support for such a wide embracing conclusion from Isaiah 59:20-21 and 27:9. A deliverer would come from Zion (Jesus?) and push godlessness and sins away. This would put an end to the hardening Israel had experienced. For the most part, the Jews had opposed the Christian faith and church in its infancy (cf. Acts 13–21), but that does not mean God washed his hands of Israel. They were, after all, elect. (Is this a promise to hold them together as a people at the very least?)
God’s call to Israel could not be taken back (it was irrevocable). The call had already gone out. If God went back on his promise to Israel it would undo his love for the patriarchs. And disobedience on the part of Jews or Gentiles is no problem for God. He handles that with judgment or mercy, and mercy triumphs over judgment (cf. James 2:13). The holy root and the holy branches can be in solidarity through the obedience of faith.
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